All right, well, I've got to admit this review is a little bit overdue. So I'm having a little trouble recollecting exactly what everyone ate. I mean, given the multiple chocolate martinis and chocolate mojitos or whatever they were, it's not exactly surprising. I jest, I jest, nobody had more than one. Also, I neglected to get pictures of the food. Still, I'll do the best I can.
Definitely, the mac and cheese with a slice of chocolate-covered bacon was good. Granted, a tough recipe to mess up, but still, it was pretty nice. People thought very highly of the lamb sliders, and for an appetizer the four-cheese fritters were quite tasty. I had the aztec cheese enchilada, although the risotto looked very interesting, too. What is it with me and risotto? But I had to go with the enchilada because it contained some amount of chocolate, whereas the risotto did not. The risotto did contain something called basil foam, though. Harumph, basil is basil, in foam, powder, or paste form, if you ask me. However, as you may be noting, honestly the chocolate content of a lot of the food wasn't that high or that noticeable. While their Malted Milk Martini was quite good and all enjoyed the Cojitos, the chipotle chocolate tomato cream sauce that came with the fritters wasn't really that noticeably chocolate-y, at least to me. Granted, I favor gross flavors the same as I favor gross motor skills, and subtle flavors are often lost on me (as a result of coating my food in Sriracha sauce for so many years). Which is not to say that eating there was unenjoyable; on the contrary, I think everyone enjoyed it. It's just that if you're expecting fantastic, exotic, perhaps even grotesque edible chocolate creations, it's not that dramatic. In fact, the chocolate aspect comes across as a bit gimmicky at times; for example, they describe Aventinus beer on their drinks list as a chocolate beer. Uh, sorry, no. Aventinus is a dark beer, a dunkelweizen, but it does not contain any chocolate, is not supposed to taste of chocolate, and is not marketed as such. So to label it as such on their menu is a bit of a stretch. Nay, let us be frank, a fraud and a blasphemy, vile and mendacious. Of course, on a less vituperative note, the desserts were really chocolate-y and really good, so what more can one ask? On an interesting point, though, our waitress did say that they had increased the size of the entrees in response to customer complaints. From what I saw, the entree sizes for our group were ok, although by no means large. If you are a 300 pound nose tackle, you might be disappointed, but if you are of normal size and not looking to gorge you should be fine. Given America's obesity epidemic, more restaurants should probably adopt this approach. But the larger point is that you can eat dinner there, although this is a boutique gourmet restaurant where the focus is more on quality than on quantity. If you examine the menu, you'll notice that the selection of food items is not that large. I'm glad that dinner is a viable option now because I feel like customers would want the option. It's a bit annoying to go somewhere for drinks and have to go somewhere else for dinner.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Cafe Green: A Worthy Vegan Outing
1513 17th Street NW Washington, DC 20036
(202) 234-0505
17th St. btw. P + Q St.
Nearest Metro:
Dupont Circle (North)
http://www.javagreen.net/menu/
Rating: Happy Times
We had a nice time at Cafe Green, the sister restaurant to Java Green, which is unfortunately only open on weekdays. The lunch menu is, sadly, a bit more limited than the full dinner or Sunday brunch menu. But hey, it was good enough for this hippie.
On an aesthetic level, the the restaurant is actually quite pleasant, with a modernist decor and relatively open space, playing an assortment of nice classic rock, i.e. Beatles, that goes well with the new age vibe of the whole place. While we didn't try the soy milk milkshakes, I would wager they are pretty good. I mean, on its own, some shaken soy milk has an interesting creamy/smooth texture that is a bit like a milkshake. No offense to Trader Joe's, which is a great brand, but the Silk brand soy milk is pretty awesome for this purpose. While I'm speaking of Trader Joe's on the general topic of non-animal products, their generic sausage patties are good, and equal to the Morningstar brands, though with a slightly different flavor. By the way, the TJ's potato latkes are outstanding and a couple of them make a fine breakfast.
But, TJ's usual high quality aside, Cafe Green has a nice lunch menu. It was limited to starters, soups/salads, raw items (including raw pizza), and sandwiches, plus a nice selection of beverages, including kombucha tea, which can be hard to find, if you're interested. The organic coffee, however, tasted like regular coffee, though without the burning guilt feeling that one has with regular coffee. Organic doesn't automatically mean fair-trade, so I suppose the sad Colombian peasants struggling to grow that coffee without pesticides may be living in a tuberculitic shanty even now, but I trust in Cafe Green that this is not the case.
We started off with their sampler appetizer platter, which included some mung bean patties (think of a potato pancake of sorts), a couple of pieces of their faux chicken sandwiches, some Korean-style dumplings, and a roasted vegetable skewer. Everything was good and benefited from the sauces, in particular, that were served on the side: a peanut sauce, tamari (essentially soy sauce, theoretically spicier but I detected no difference), and an agave mustard sauce that was quite good and interesting.
Among the entrees, we had a curry soup, a kelp soup, a raw pizza, two avocado salads, and an avocado and tempeh sandwich. Everyone was happy, and the kelp soup did not taste fishy, which can certainly happen with seaweed. I had the avocado sandwich and it was delightful, but most things with avocado are, so the bar was high. But it was good. We didn't share family style as we sometimes do, so my firsthand impressions are limited. But if anyone who was there wants to, comments and additions are welcome. I'm also going to post a couple of pictures; I forgot to take out my camera until we were mostly done, so there are only pictures of the curry soup and the kelp soup.
At least on my part, the only regret is that we didn't get to try more raw options. The idea of raw cheesecake or a raw cinnamon bun is interesting, and I'm still curious about some of those, so I'd definitely like to go back to try some of their other items. Also, I'm very curious about their "steak and cheese" sub, the "steak" part being made of fried wheat gluten (a popular meat substitute in the far east, I've had it in a beef jerky-like form, it's not bad, sometimes called seitan, an unfortunate name in the English-speaking world) and the "cheese" being made of almonds.
Dessert-wise, we presume that the next-door "Mr. Yogato's" is a related vegan yogurt shop. However, trying Mr. Yogato will have to wait.
(202) 234-0505
17th St. btw. P + Q St.
Nearest Metro:
Dupont Circle (North)
http://www.javagreen.net/menu/
Rating: Happy Times
We had a nice time at Cafe Green, the sister restaurant to Java Green, which is unfortunately only open on weekdays. The lunch menu is, sadly, a bit more limited than the full dinner or Sunday brunch menu. But hey, it was good enough for this hippie.
On an aesthetic level, the the restaurant is actually quite pleasant, with a modernist decor and relatively open space, playing an assortment of nice classic rock, i.e. Beatles, that goes well with the new age vibe of the whole place. While we didn't try the soy milk milkshakes, I would wager they are pretty good. I mean, on its own, some shaken soy milk has an interesting creamy/smooth texture that is a bit like a milkshake. No offense to Trader Joe's, which is a great brand, but the Silk brand soy milk is pretty awesome for this purpose. While I'm speaking of Trader Joe's on the general topic of non-animal products, their generic sausage patties are good, and equal to the Morningstar brands, though with a slightly different flavor. By the way, the TJ's potato latkes are outstanding and a couple of them make a fine breakfast.
But, TJ's usual high quality aside, Cafe Green has a nice lunch menu. It was limited to starters, soups/salads, raw items (including raw pizza), and sandwiches, plus a nice selection of beverages, including kombucha tea, which can be hard to find, if you're interested. The organic coffee, however, tasted like regular coffee, though without the burning guilt feeling that one has with regular coffee. Organic doesn't automatically mean fair-trade, so I suppose the sad Colombian peasants struggling to grow that coffee without pesticides may be living in a tuberculitic shanty even now, but I trust in Cafe Green that this is not the case.
We started off with their sampler appetizer platter, which included some mung bean patties (think of a potato pancake of sorts), a couple of pieces of their faux chicken sandwiches, some Korean-style dumplings, and a roasted vegetable skewer. Everything was good and benefited from the sauces, in particular, that were served on the side: a peanut sauce, tamari (essentially soy sauce, theoretically spicier but I detected no difference), and an agave mustard sauce that was quite good and interesting.
Among the entrees, we had a curry soup, a kelp soup, a raw pizza, two avocado salads, and an avocado and tempeh sandwich. Everyone was happy, and the kelp soup did not taste fishy, which can certainly happen with seaweed. I had the avocado sandwich and it was delightful, but most things with avocado are, so the bar was high. But it was good. We didn't share family style as we sometimes do, so my firsthand impressions are limited. But if anyone who was there wants to, comments and additions are welcome. I'm also going to post a couple of pictures; I forgot to take out my camera until we were mostly done, so there are only pictures of the curry soup and the kelp soup.
At least on my part, the only regret is that we didn't get to try more raw options. The idea of raw cheesecake or a raw cinnamon bun is interesting, and I'm still curious about some of those, so I'd definitely like to go back to try some of their other items. Also, I'm very curious about their "steak and cheese" sub, the "steak" part being made of fried wheat gluten (a popular meat substitute in the far east, I've had it in a beef jerky-like form, it's not bad, sometimes called seitan, an unfortunate name in the English-speaking world) and the "cheese" being made of almonds.
Dessert-wise, we presume that the next-door "Mr. Yogato's" is a related vegan yogurt shop. However, trying Mr. Yogato will have to wait.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Maizbon Afghan Grill
6244 Little River Turnpike, Alexandria, VA
Summary: 4 out of 5 spoons, a bright spot on the Washington dining scene
After a long hiatus, updates to this chronicle of rapacity have resumed, at least for the moment. While driving along 236 to Maizbon, I noticed a dead raccoon in the road, and this seemed a grim portent given my earlier boast that I would dine alone save for a sedated raccoon. I considered stopping to grab the beast, but decided that it was unlikely I'd be allowed in the restaurant with such a guest, paying customer or no.
In the end, the absence of any other associates proved a boon for tasting free of the distractions of conversation. And indeed, my copy of Alistair Horne's La Belle France: A Short History of France proved to be a delightful dining companion, keeping me entertained with a number of memorable vignettes, such as the Marquis de Sade screaming through a urine funnel to the mob below from his window in the Bastille, urging them to storm the place. It's a very entertaining introduction to French history, light and easy-reading, and I recommend it highly and never tire of it.
But, on to the food, which certainly did not disappoint. I chatted a bit with the lone waitress, who is also the daughter of the owners, a Kabuli family both Tajik and Pashtun in origin. She said that the food was Afghanistan-wide rather than reflecting a particular region, and accordingly had a number of different spice levels and ingredients. I opted for the buffet, but did order an appetizer of Afghan fries to satisfy my constant craving for spuds. The lightly seasoned potato medallions were good, but I took most of them home since the buffet was more than adequate. The lunch buffet selection was small but of high quality. It included a small salad section, complete with feta cheese, white rice, brown rice with raisins, a chickpea dish, a mixed vegetable curry, an eggplant-based casserole (burtaa), some relatively hard but not crispy naan, a bone-in chicken curry, an okra-based dish (bamia bindi though without the meat that comes with the entree version), a spinach-based dish similar to Indian saag (sabzi), a risotto-like dish (keccheri quroot), and a pudding dessert. It was all good, especially the burta, chickpeas, bamia bindi, and keccheri quroot. None of it was what I'd call spicy, though some of it may have been slightly hot for those with palates less seared and numbed than mine. I found the food to be well-seasoned and bursting with flavors. The bamia bindi made okra better than it has any right to be, and the Afghan risotto was outstanding, my favorite, and better than any Italian risotto I've had. The chicken curry was tender and good, but nothing special, and the same goes for the sabzi. My only regret was that I was not able to order any of the entrees, particularly the lamb dishes, as I think they were probably very good. They also had a mixed beef/lamb burger on the menu, and I look forward to coming back and giving it, and many other dishes, a try.
On the non-food front, the waitress was very friendly and the interior was nicely furnished; she mentioned it had taken a year for her parents to bring all the furnishings from Kabul. Since she was alone serving all the tables, and indeed was the only staff member I ever saw, service was a bit slow, which was certainly not her fault. Given the relatively low number of customers, it was understandable. But I'm saddened that the place wasn't busier because it deserves to be, and is a bright spot on the Washington dining scene.
Summary: 4 out of 5 spoons, a bright spot on the Washington dining scene
After a long hiatus, updates to this chronicle of rapacity have resumed, at least for the moment. While driving along 236 to Maizbon, I noticed a dead raccoon in the road, and this seemed a grim portent given my earlier boast that I would dine alone save for a sedated raccoon. I considered stopping to grab the beast, but decided that it was unlikely I'd be allowed in the restaurant with such a guest, paying customer or no.
In the end, the absence of any other associates proved a boon for tasting free of the distractions of conversation. And indeed, my copy of Alistair Horne's La Belle France: A Short History of France proved to be a delightful dining companion, keeping me entertained with a number of memorable vignettes, such as the Marquis de Sade screaming through a urine funnel to the mob below from his window in the Bastille, urging them to storm the place. It's a very entertaining introduction to French history, light and easy-reading, and I recommend it highly and never tire of it.
But, on to the food, which certainly did not disappoint. I chatted a bit with the lone waitress, who is also the daughter of the owners, a Kabuli family both Tajik and Pashtun in origin. She said that the food was Afghanistan-wide rather than reflecting a particular region, and accordingly had a number of different spice levels and ingredients. I opted for the buffet, but did order an appetizer of Afghan fries to satisfy my constant craving for spuds. The lightly seasoned potato medallions were good, but I took most of them home since the buffet was more than adequate. The lunch buffet selection was small but of high quality. It included a small salad section, complete with feta cheese, white rice, brown rice with raisins, a chickpea dish, a mixed vegetable curry, an eggplant-based casserole (burtaa), some relatively hard but not crispy naan, a bone-in chicken curry, an okra-based dish (bamia bindi though without the meat that comes with the entree version), a spinach-based dish similar to Indian saag (sabzi), a risotto-like dish (keccheri quroot), and a pudding dessert. It was all good, especially the burta, chickpeas, bamia bindi, and keccheri quroot. None of it was what I'd call spicy, though some of it may have been slightly hot for those with palates less seared and numbed than mine. I found the food to be well-seasoned and bursting with flavors. The bamia bindi made okra better than it has any right to be, and the Afghan risotto was outstanding, my favorite, and better than any Italian risotto I've had. The chicken curry was tender and good, but nothing special, and the same goes for the sabzi. My only regret was that I was not able to order any of the entrees, particularly the lamb dishes, as I think they were probably very good. They also had a mixed beef/lamb burger on the menu, and I look forward to coming back and giving it, and many other dishes, a try.
On the non-food front, the waitress was very friendly and the interior was nicely furnished; she mentioned it had taken a year for her parents to bring all the furnishings from Kabul. Since she was alone serving all the tables, and indeed was the only staff member I ever saw, service was a bit slow, which was certainly not her fault. Given the relatively low number of customers, it was understandable. But I'm saddened that the place wasn't busier because it deserves to be, and is a bright spot on the Washington dining scene.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Outing Three: Myanmar, or, Blood Lentils
We went to Myanmar, a Burmese restaurant in a small shopping center off Lee Highway in Falls Church. The decor was pleasant, although somewhat reminiscent of the Hunt for Red October, with blue battle lighting in use for one of the two dining rooms. We opted for a table in the room with more traditional lighting; there's only so much exotic a person can handle in one night, and without Captain Ramius it wouldn't really have mattered. We decided to eat communally and started off by splitting appetizers of samosas and lentil fritters. But, what's that, you say? Samosas at a Burmese restaurant? WTFF? Yes, "they," i.e. the internet, had told us Burmese cuisine was sort of a mix between Indian and Thai. That appears to be accurate. Anyways, the samosas were fine but the lentil fritters were awesome. If the blood and sweat of the workers is what made them so good, then call it flavor sauce and ladle up some more! Hats off to the junta!
The waiter recommended a number of options for the meal, mostly salads with a couple of fish dishes. He passed over the other entrees with no comment; I tried to extract some remarks from him and he mumbled something about the goat curry. But he focused on the salads, recommending the mango, the ginger, the watercress, the green tea leaf, and perhaps the papaya. We had the watercress and the ginger, and they were both quite good. Despite my previous enjoyment of the ginger, and it was still good, I felt that perhaps the watercress had a slight edge. It was kinda spicy and, frankly, I don't think I was the only one at the table who cried, though whether they were tears of joy or the squeezings of fiery Myanmarese watercress coursing through my tear ducts, I couldn't say. If U Thant were still alive, I could say, "U go, U Thant!" But alas, the ephemeral joys of life do not linger for anyone. The meat dishes were good as well, but it was the salads that, to me, stood out as something different and distinct from either Indian or Thai cuisine.
The waiter recommended a number of options for the meal, mostly salads with a couple of fish dishes. He passed over the other entrees with no comment; I tried to extract some remarks from him and he mumbled something about the goat curry. But he focused on the salads, recommending the mango, the ginger, the watercress, the green tea leaf, and perhaps the papaya. We had the watercress and the ginger, and they were both quite good. Despite my previous enjoyment of the ginger, and it was still good, I felt that perhaps the watercress had a slight edge. It was kinda spicy and, frankly, I don't think I was the only one at the table who cried, though whether they were tears of joy or the squeezings of fiery Myanmarese watercress coursing through my tear ducts, I couldn't say. If U Thant were still alive, I could say, "U go, U Thant!" But alas, the ephemeral joys of life do not linger for anyone. The meat dishes were good as well, but it was the salads that, to me, stood out as something different and distinct from either Indian or Thai cuisine.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Outing 2: Casa Oaxaca
No one shall know the hour or the day, it is said, but the hour and the day of the last convocation of the brethren was Saturday, Oct. 3, on 18th St. NW. Turnout was excellent at 14 people, with even some unannounced arrivals (and so much the better). The food was good, I believe everyone liked the little mini-taco appetizers, which were also free and at least sometimes came with beer at the bar. It took a while to get our orders taken, I'll charitably suggest because they assumed we wanted to have some time to socialize before being bothered, and they were out of cachaca, so no Brazilian caipirinhas, but other than that scandalous deficiency it was very good. The margaritas were good and they helpfully brought sample plates with the different moles around the table. All were good, and the chocolate was in interesting flavor. I don't know if anyone got the chocolate mole, but I had the Mole Colaradito and it was excellent. Some adventurous souls also tried the grasshopper appetizer. Rather than the whole fried grasshoppers I was expecting, the critters were shredded and floating in a sauce you poured onto little tortillas. We ran out of shredded grasshopper and they actually brought out more to pour into the sauce, I believe free of charge. Some said they tasted of cinnamon, but I could not detect it. Granted, we were all looking forward to biting the heads off of whole fried grasshoppers (and who hasn't really?), but c'est la vie.
After the meal, some left for home, some left for cupcakes, and the rest decided to go to one of the many fine purveyors of intoxicants to be found nearby. A few more people who hadn't been at dinner turned up for this. Some mooted the really fascinating idea of going to a local establishment said to be staffed only by surly ex-cons who served gin in ice buckets that they spit in, or something, but we wound up going to tried and true Bourbon. Ironically, I believe most people drank beer. For my part, I can say that Elmer T. Lee is a fine, smooth bourbon that is worth a try. Sat in a secluded upstairs cove that would have felt isolating if there were only a couple of people, but for a group it was good. The topic of crawling into the vents to hurl molotov cocktails at the wait staff was raised, but this was purely theoretical and should in no way be read as a criticism of the fine bartenders at Bourbon, seriously. It was good.
After the meal, some left for home, some left for cupcakes, and the rest decided to go to one of the many fine purveyors of intoxicants to be found nearby. A few more people who hadn't been at dinner turned up for this. Some mooted the really fascinating idea of going to a local establishment said to be staffed only by surly ex-cons who served gin in ice buckets that they spit in, or something, but we wound up going to tried and true Bourbon. Ironically, I believe most people drank beer. For my part, I can say that Elmer T. Lee is a fine, smooth bourbon that is worth a try. Sat in a secluded upstairs cove that would have felt isolating if there were only a couple of people, but for a group it was good. The topic of crawling into the vents to hurl molotov cocktails at the wait staff was raised, but this was purely theoretical and should in no way be read as a criticism of the fine bartenders at Bourbon, seriously. It was good.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Outing One: Taste of Morocco and District 9
We achieved criticality (four people, enough for a death quorum) and overall I think the inaugural meeting of the Moroccan Fishwives and Friends was a productive success. Among other things, we settled on the name Moroccan Fishwives and Friends, although Moroccan Fishwives and -mongers or Fishmongrels was felt to be more gender accurate. But, Moroccan Fishwives and Friends is snappy so it works. We followed the meal with a viewing of District 9. We're going to have to do it again, but next time we're bringing a backpack. As for the next restaurant, perhaps Casa de Oaxaca. For the movie, Legion: wherein an old lady bites throats and crawls on the walls like a spider while people blast her with a shotgun. Why wouldn't you want to see it? Especially if you have a backpack. Of course, the murderous Estonian dwarf movie might be fun as well.
Taste of Morocco: Located in Clarendon, the place was almost deserted when we arrived at six, probably because it was Moroccan and in Clarendon. However, it may also have been because the belly dancing didn't start until nine o'clock and that's what people really came to see. We, however, actually struggled to finish, pay, and leave before the belly dancing started. The "belly dancer" arrived wearing a trench coat, and several of the restaurant handouts showed her (him?) leering at the viewer. Frankly, our effort to leave before the dancing verged on panic, but we did succeed. We ordered the multi-course dinners for four (we got shortchanged a main dish and an appetizer -- not that we really needed it, but it's the principle), which included bistilla (think chicken pie with sugar and cinnamon, best thing there), soup (we all got the traditional Moroccan harira, served with spoons that doubled as weapons), a selection of tagines and couscous (perfectly acceptable), a plate of cookies (probably stolen from a CVS), and Moroccan mint tea (good). We also ordered a bottle of Moroccan red wine which was "interesting...but in a good way." I also tried the Moroccan coffee -- very heavily spiced, it was fine, but not as good as Turkish coffee. Also, the ceiling above our table was leaking and bulging rather ominously, which added to our eagerness to get out of there. All in all, not bad, but it was rather slow, taking almost three hours. I'm not sure if that was just because we got the multi-course meal (even so, it was just appetizer, soup, entree, dessert), or if it's deliberately staggered to keep you there until belly-dancing time.
District 9: If you're looking for a fascinating sociocultural study of an attempt to integrate an alien population into a human society, then you've found it. As long as by "fascinating sociocultural study" you mean "lots of exploding bodies" and Nigerian attempts to eat the aliens to get their mystical powers in order to be able to operate the alien weapons and explode more bodies. 'Cause you know, seriously, Nigerians believe in witchcraft and shit. Yeah, I bet you didn't know that. There was also an intriguing reference to the Nigerians' sponsorship of transspecies prostitution, a concept sadly not further explored; later, a character is falsely accused of having sex with aliens as though he were uniquely depraved, however. I thought the pseudo-documentary opening scenes featuring the protagonist, Wikus -- a nebbishy South African employee of the evil multinational that was apparently granted rights to care for/experiment on/slaughter with impunity the aliens -- clearly were inspired by The Office and Wikus reminded me a lot of Steve Carell. I particularly enjoyed the South African accent, which we don't hear often enough. Also, it was funny that the aliens really liked eating cat food. Hehe. That's funny. Kind of like in Paul Blart: Mall Cop when fat people fell down. It's funny 'cause they're fat. Anyways, the movie is an interesting concept that turns into a fairly standard blast fest with cool effects, nice alien weaponry, and tons of plot holes. At the end, we're left wondering whether the aliens will ultimately slaughter humanity in return for our sins while Wikus manufactures tin foil flowers for his wife.
Taste of Morocco: Located in Clarendon, the place was almost deserted when we arrived at six, probably because it was Moroccan and in Clarendon. However, it may also have been because the belly dancing didn't start until nine o'clock and that's what people really came to see. We, however, actually struggled to finish, pay, and leave before the belly dancing started. The "belly dancer" arrived wearing a trench coat, and several of the restaurant handouts showed her (him?) leering at the viewer. Frankly, our effort to leave before the dancing verged on panic, but we did succeed. We ordered the multi-course dinners for four (we got shortchanged a main dish and an appetizer -- not that we really needed it, but it's the principle), which included bistilla (think chicken pie with sugar and cinnamon, best thing there), soup (we all got the traditional Moroccan harira, served with spoons that doubled as weapons), a selection of tagines and couscous (perfectly acceptable), a plate of cookies (probably stolen from a CVS), and Moroccan mint tea (good). We also ordered a bottle of Moroccan red wine which was "interesting...but in a good way." I also tried the Moroccan coffee -- very heavily spiced, it was fine, but not as good as Turkish coffee. Also, the ceiling above our table was leaking and bulging rather ominously, which added to our eagerness to get out of there. All in all, not bad, but it was rather slow, taking almost three hours. I'm not sure if that was just because we got the multi-course meal (even so, it was just appetizer, soup, entree, dessert), or if it's deliberately staggered to keep you there until belly-dancing time.
District 9: If you're looking for a fascinating sociocultural study of an attempt to integrate an alien population into a human society, then you've found it. As long as by "fascinating sociocultural study" you mean "lots of exploding bodies" and Nigerian attempts to eat the aliens to get their mystical powers in order to be able to operate the alien weapons and explode more bodies. 'Cause you know, seriously, Nigerians believe in witchcraft and shit. Yeah, I bet you didn't know that. There was also an intriguing reference to the Nigerians' sponsorship of transspecies prostitution, a concept sadly not further explored; later, a character is falsely accused of having sex with aliens as though he were uniquely depraved, however. I thought the pseudo-documentary opening scenes featuring the protagonist, Wikus -- a nebbishy South African employee of the evil multinational that was apparently granted rights to care for/experiment on/slaughter with impunity the aliens -- clearly were inspired by The Office and Wikus reminded me a lot of Steve Carell. I particularly enjoyed the South African accent, which we don't hear often enough. Also, it was funny that the aliens really liked eating cat food. Hehe. That's funny. Kind of like in Paul Blart: Mall Cop when fat people fell down. It's funny 'cause they're fat. Anyways, the movie is an interesting concept that turns into a fairly standard blast fest with cool effects, nice alien weaponry, and tons of plot holes. At the end, we're left wondering whether the aliens will ultimately slaughter humanity in return for our sins while Wikus manufactures tin foil flowers for his wife.
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